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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · jam · saw · drill · track · foot · ground · cap

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. drill — army training
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — a song
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com